2001 Kawasaki KLR650 problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Kawasaki KLR650. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Kawasaki KLR650 vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 14 | 74% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 11% |
| Engine | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
| Suspension | 1 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Cam chain adjuster otherwise know as a doohickey. If it fails it may cause the engine to seize up without warning, I change mine after it broke but did not cause massive internal damage I was unaware that mine had failed I did the change as preventative maintenance this problem has been known to the klr community for…”
Engine · filed Nov 16, 2016
“The idler shaft lever (aka "doohickey") broke in half and the pieces of it were floating around in the crank cased. This is very dangerous because if a piece of the idler shaft lever gets caught in the counterbalance chain or causes a crank bearing failure the engine could lock up at speed causing a crash. I replaced…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Apr 5, 2012
“The idle shaft lever in my 2001 kawasaki klr650 had completely broken into 2 pieces. I discovered this when upgrading the part. It could have caused catastrophic engine failure. *tr”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 17, 2009
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Kawasaki KLR650.
Service Information about a shipping bracket attaching the motorcycle to the crate can cause damage to the motorcycle fuel tank if removed.
MC24-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 25, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2001 Kawasaki KLR650 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Kawasaki KLR650?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.